Written By: Christopher James Keenan [BIAS IT Marketing Director]
TOUGH DAY AT THE OFFICE? TRY £1M IN FINES & 2 YEARS
Could IT Happen to You?
In today's fast-paced world, technology evolves at lightning speed, rendering old IT hardware obsolete in a matter of years. When purchasing new computer equipment most businesses pay very little thought to the disposal of the old IT hardware they are replacing. We all know that failure to properly recycle obsolete IT hardware and securely wipe or shred hard drives can lead to disastrous consequences, including hefty fines, reputational damage, and even criminal penalties. However, in truth most businesses just think they can leave IT disposal to someone else but in reality that decision can be a career ender.
The Growing Problem of IT & Computer Disposal
I hate to be the hippy in the room but let’s quickly look at why we need to recycle old IT hardware. You might be interested to know that globally, electronic waste, or e-waste, is one of the fastest-growing waste streams. Every year, millions of tons of outdated computers, phones, and other electronic devices are discarded. In fact, according to the Global E-Waste Monitor 2020 report (I think you’ll agree the name needed a little more work, but this report was in fact created by the highly respected UNU, ITU and the ISWA) approximately 53.6 million metric tons of e-waste was thrown out just in 2019. By 2030, this number is expected to increase to 74.7 million metric tons, a staggering rise of over 40%. This ever-growing problem is most certainly a colossal environmental issue, I don’t want to detract away from that but… perhaps less known is the devastating effect e-waste has in relation to the “mind-blowing” losses in global resources. I’ll explain in more detail shortly but first let’s talk about what we as a nation and Business Community are doing to fix the problem, let’s talk about going ‘WEEEE’.
The WEEE Regulations and Their Role in Combatting E-Waste
In the UK, businesses must comply with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations, which were first introduced in 2006. These regulations are part of our effort to tackle the growing problem of e-waste and ensure that businesses take responsibility for recycling their electronic products. Put more simply, the WEEE regulations were designed to achieve the following:
• Ensure that businesses recycle electronic products in an environmentally friendly manner.
• Reduce the amount of e-waste sent to landfills.
• Prevent harmful materials in e-waste from leaching into the environment.
• Encourage manufacturers to design products that are easier to recycle.
The WEEE regulations were born out of the increasing concern that the improper disposal of e-waste was contributing to toxic pollution, and further fears that valuable resources like precious metals were being lost to landfill sites. It’s fair to say the “Bigger Picture” aim of WEEE is to make businesses responsible for the recycling and proper disposal of their old IT equipment. With that in mind, some have said that the WEEE initiative is a little too aggressive in pushing their goals by dishing out serious penalties for any company that fails to comply.
What Are the Consequences of Failing to Comply
Failing to comply with WEEE regulations can lead to significant legal and financial consequences. In the UK, businesses that do not recycle their obsolete IT equipment correctly, can face hefty fines ranging from just £5,000 all the way up to £100,000 (though in some rare cases it can be considerably higher). That said, the financial penalties are just the beginning. In some extreme cases, individuals can be imprisoned for failing to properly manage e-waste disposal.
For example, in 2015, a company in the UK was fined £1 million after it was found that they had unlawfully disposed of old computers, which contained confidential customer data, in an illegal manner. The company failed to securely wipe the hard drives before disposal, putting both customer information and the business’s reputation at risk. In another case, a recycling company was fined £250,000 for improperly handling hazardous e-waste, and its director was sentenced to two years in prison for violating environmental regulations. Just so you know, your old office computers and business IT hardware is classified as ‘hazardous e-waste’ due to the toxic materials found in them. Who knew?
These examples certainly highlight the severity of the consequences for businesses that neglect their responsibility to dispose of IT hardware correctly. They also show us that it's not just about recycling – it’s also about ensuring that the data held on old hard drives is fully wiped or physically shredded to avoid data breaches that could ruin a company’s reputation and lead to legal action.
How Does This Affect You?
Good question, how does it affect you? Well, if you’re the person responsible for the IT in your company and you fail to correctly wipe the drives and recycle your old equipment it’s fines and worse case prison. Even if you’ve outsourced e-waste disposal it’s still on you… I know, not fair right!
Don’t worry, we can help. If you are subscribed to a BIAS IT Corporate Membership subscription it goes from being on you to being on us. BIAS IT support at the Corporate Membership level gives you 24/7 emergency IT support, an IT help desk, onsite support, in fact tons more including the kind of e-waste disposal service that keeps you out of jail! The best news is you get all that IT support from as little as £40 per month. What’s that I hear you say, “shameless plug”, more like; “super service deal”, ok, ok, maybe it’s a bit of both, but it’s still worth you giving us a call. The BIAS IT support team will take on the chain of custody for all your unwanted IT, becoming fully responsible for your company’s WEEE compliant IT disposal.
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